Circuit-controlling apparatus for train-lighting systems.



E. H. M. LA GLEY-6L E. w. PRICE. CIRCUIT CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR TRAIN LIGHTING SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1911.

1,135,384, j Patented Apr. 13, 1915 3 SHEETS SHEE-T 1.

E. H. M. LANGLEY & E. W. PRICE.

CIRCUIT CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR TRAIN LIGHTING SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6I I91I.

1,135,384. Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fizz/{ya f a I if E. H.' M. LANGLEY & E. W. PRICE. CIRCUlT CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR TRAIN LIGHTING SYSTEMS.

. APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 19H. v j 1,135,38Q; Patented Apr.13, 1915,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Wiifizessean java/dam v EDWARD, HERBERT MANN LANGLEY. AND ERNEST WA.LTEB' PBICEJIOF=ASTON BIB MINGH-AM, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOBSHIJO THE .nnncrnma ORDINANCE LCGESSOBIES- COMPANY, LIMITED; 01? BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

CIRCUIT-CONTROLLING. AP PABATUS FOR TRAIN-LIGHTING. SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters raisin. p t t d g .13, 1915 Application filed m a, 1911. Serial no. 625,518.

way carriages or other vehicles that have to travel for long or short periods with intervals of rest. In thisconnection it is a common practice to employ a dynamo geared to one of the axles of the vehicle, in; conjunction with two sets of secondary batteries, the latter supplying current to the lamps for lighting, when the vehicle is at rest. alternately and while one battery is supplying current to the lamps, the other is being rescli-arged by the dynamo. One prior arrangement for this purpose comprises two solenoid switches, each of which has a movable plunger carrying one or more contact pieces for making and breaking certain of the circuits, the-said solenoids being energized alternately and theirplungers being arranged to alternately actuate a battery change-over switch. In the apparatus of the present invention. the switches are still of the electromagnetic type, but the two solenoid switches are replaced'by a single solenoid switch and an auxiliary or relay switch, while the alternate actuation of the battery change-over switch from the single plunger of the single solenoid switch at each energization is eflected by means of clutch mechanism of a special character. 7

The aforesaid auxiliary switch may be of the'attracted armature or other appropriate kind but is preferably ofthe compound wound solenoid type, its shunt coil being permanently connected directly across the dynamo armature, and its series coil being in. the main circuit of this armature; the plunger of the switch may carry a contact bar which serves to bridge a gap in the circuit of the solenoid of the main switch. The plunger of the main switch itself C81". rice, or serves to operate, switch arms, by

- means of which two,-or three, operations are The two batteries are .made to work performed, namely,'the main circuit of the dynamo is opened and closed, the whole or part of the lamp resistance is shortcircuited, and theinversely wound series winding of the dynamo is also short-circuited, if a dynamo with such a winding is used.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect we will now describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in' which Figure 1 represents diagrammatically an arrangement-of apparatus and connections for a train lighting system adapted to operate in accordance with the invention. Fig.

- 2 issimilar to Fig. 1, but shows certain parts in' an altered position. Fig.3 is a detail view of a modified form of the auxiliary switch and the shunt wound solenoid, and Fig. 3 is a diagram of connections therefor, Fig. 3' also showing the battery change-over switch and one constructional form of the wound series field winding.

D and-D represent the two-sets of batteries and E the lamps.

F is the shunt-solenoid of the main switch, F F being two switch arms carried by the solenoid plunger, and f, f and f, 7 two pairs of contacts with which the aforesaid sw tch arms cooperate.

G is the series winding and Gthe shunt winding of the auxiliary switch the plunger of which carries a contact bar serving to bridge a gap in the circuit of the shunt s0- lenoid F. The battery change-over switch is of the double pole type, and comprises a rocking arm H adapted. to cooperate with two segmental contacts H, H which are connected to the positive terminals of the two sets of-batteries D. D respectively, and.

with four contacts h, 11,, 7t, it.

E represents the lamp resistance and E a lamp switch.

Referring first to Figs. '1 and 2, and assuming the train to be at rest, and the main switch, the auxiliary switch, and the battery change-over switch to be in the ositions shown'in Fig. 1, then both sets of atteries aredischarging through the lamps, the set .D discharging directly by way of the segmental contact 11, contact Ii, and lamp switch E", and returning from the lamps E by the negative .main while the other set of batteries, namely D, discharges by way of segmental contact H and contact h of the battery change-over switch and thence by way of contact 7, switch arm F contact 7, and part of the lamp resistance E beyond which it joins the current fronrthe set of batteries D. When the train starts running,.the dynamo generates current, and as the speed of the train and of the dynamo increases, the voltage of the dynamo rises and upon reaching a predetermined value causes the auxiliary switch to lift its plunger, whereupon the contact bar G carried by the latter closes'thecircuit of the solenoid F of the mainswitch apparatus. The plunger of the last mentioned solenoid then rises, and in doing so causes the above mentioned clutch mechanism to actuate the battery change-over switch and also causes the above mentioned switch arms F, F to move into a positionin which the main circuit of the dynamo is closed by thebridging of the two contacts if, f by the switch arm F, and the whole 0 the lamp resistance E and also the inversely wound series winding C of the dynamo are thrown into circuit. The conditions then existing aretho'se shown in Fig. 2. The main current from the dynamo armature A passes by way of the series winding G of the auxiliary switch, the contact f, switch arm F contact 7, and lead i and then divides. One part of the current passes directly through the whole of the lamp resistanceE', and the lamp switch E to the lamps; the other part passes through the inversely wound series winding C of the dynamo and thence by 7 way of the contact h, and segmental contact H, to the set of batteries D thereby recharging the latter. The other set of batteries namely D continues to supply current to the lamps by way of the segmental contact H contact 7L and lamp switch E. By reason of the division of the dynamo current in this way and the assage of the battery charging portion oi the current through the inversely wound series winding .0. of the dynamo, a very effective output regulation of the dynamo is obtained, this regulation of the dynamo may however be effected in any other appropriate manner. When the voltage of the dynamo sinks below that of the batteries, the battery current passes in the reverse direction through the series winding G of the auxiliary switch and causes the latter to open, whereupon the circuit of the solenoid F of the main switch apparatus is broken and the plunger thereof is entirely without electrical control; it therefore drops quickly to its inoperative position and in so doing restores the switch character of the clutch mechanism.

arms 1 F, to their former position but leaves the battery change-over switch unaltered in position owing to the s ecial Vhen next the dynamo voltage rises above that of the batteries, the above described opera-' tions are repeated.

In the construction of apparatus shown in Fig. 3 the auxiliary switch is'of the attracted armature type. The plunger of the shunt solenoid F carries three switch arms instead of two as in Figs. 1 and 2. The switch arm F serves to close and open the main circuit of the dynamo between the twocontacts f and f, as before. The other two switch arms F and F serve when in their down position to short-circuit the inversely wound series Winding of the dynamo and the lamp resistance respectively, as shown in Fig. 3.

o will now proceed to describe two constructional forms of the above mentioned clutch mechanism. The construction shown in Fig. comprises two pawls J and K which artfpivoted to the lower'end of the plunger of the main switch apparatus and are adapted to cooperate with a notched plate L secured to the rocking arm H of the battery change-over switch. Pivotally mounted alongside the aforesaid notched plate L is a. second plate M similarly notched, but held by a spring N in a position in which its notched portions only partly coincidewith those of the plate L, the relativepositions of the notches being also such that if one pair of corresponding notches on the plates are made to coincide, the other pair are entirely out of coincidence or shrouded. Hence when the plunger rises from theposition shown in Fig. 3, the point of the pawl J will, fall into the corresponding notches in theplates L and M, and will first tilt the plate M in opposition to the spring N before it commences to tilt the rocking arm H by actualengagement with the notch in the plate L. This preliminary tilting of the plate M causes the notches on the other side of the plates to be entirely out of coincidence. Hence the pawl K cannot. engage with the other pair of notches, but will ride over them. Consequently the arm of the battery change-over switch will be rocked into its alternative position, and upon the next ascent of the plunger, after its descent, the functions of the two pawls J and K will be the reverse of that above described.

In the modified form of clutch mechanism shown in Fig. 4, the plate M, which, as above described, served .to mask one or other of the notches in the plate L, is dispensed with, and the pawls J and K are provided with projections J and K respectively to engage with stationary cams J and K respectively. 'The position and shape of each cam is such that as the plunger rises, the

pawl that is required to tilt the change-over switch, is not affected by the cam, owing to this pawl (J in Fig. 4) having already entered into engagement with the notch in the plate L on the arm of said change-over switch, but the other pawl is forced by the corresponding cam to move outward away from the aforesaid plate, to such an extent that it cannot engage with the correspondingnotch thereon.

In either of the above stated constructions of clutch mechanism one pawl operates during one upward movement of the plunger, and the other pawl during the next upward movement of the same.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a train lighting or similar system employing a dynamo driven by the train,

two sets of secondary batteries, and a battery changeover switch; a single solenoid main switch, a relay switch for bringingthe main switch into action, and clutch mechanism whereby the main switch actuates the battery change-over switch once for each separate'excitation of the main switch.

2. For use in a train lighting or similar system employing a dynamo driven by the train, two sets of secondary. batteries, a battery change-over switch, and a single solenoid main switch; clutch mechanism connecting the two switches; said mechanism comprising a pair of pawls pivoted to the main switch plunger, and means whereby the pawls operate alternately. to actuate the battery change-over switch during successive excitations of the main switch.

3. For use in a train lighting or similar system employing a dynamo driven by the train, two sets of secondary batteries, a bat= tery changeover switch and a single solenoid main plunger; clutch mechanism connecting the two switches, said mechanism comprising a plate secured'to a rocking switch arm forming part of the vbattery change-over switch, said plate having two notches in it situated on opposite sides of the axis of movement of the switch arm, two pawls pivoted to the lower end of the main switch plunger and situated for engagement in the respective notches, and means whereby only one pawl can engage with its corresponding notch at each raising of the said plunger, the engagement of the pawls with their notches being alternate.

.L'For use in a train lighting or similar system employing a dynamo driven by the train, two sets of secondary batteries, a battery change-over switch and a single solenoid main plunger; clutch mechanism conmeeting the two switches, said mechanism comprising a plate secured to a rocking switch arm forming part of the battery change-over switch, said plate having two notches in it situated on opposite sides of the axis of movement of the switch arm, two pawls pivoted to the lower end of the main switch plunger and situated for engagement in the respective notches, and means for shrouding one notch as soon as the other is engaged by its corresponding pawl.

In testimony whereof we a-tlix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD HERBERT MANN LANGLEY. ERNEST WALTER PRICE.

Witnesses:

J. C. OCLALns, J. D. MORRISON. 

